Molded safety seat

ABSTRACT

A safety seat comprising a unitary molded shell having a “bucket-seat” shape and a safety restraint system integral to the shell. The molded unitary shell has a bottom portion and a back portion. The shell comprises an inner layer and an outer layer made of a carbon fiber laminate with a core situated between the inner and outer layers. The core comprises aluminum sheeting having a honeycomb-like cross-section. A plurality of attachment plates are selectively located within the shell and disposed between the inner and outer layers. The safety restraint system is fastened to corresponding attachment plates. Support plates located on a non-seating surface of the shell are mated with selected attachment plates. A headrest is selectively attached to the safety seat. The safety seat is secured to structural members within a vehicle by mounting brackets. A method for making the shell and assembling the safety seat are disclosed.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to occupant safety devices withinvehicles, and more particularly molded safety seats used in race cars,and methods of making and using said safety seats.

Vehicles provide convenient and usually safe transportation. Sincealmost the introduction of the -automobile, people have been racingthem, the goal being faster than one's competitors. The automobiles usedfor racing range from specially built futuristic designs to cars andtrucks that have at least a passing resemblance to those driven onordinary streets.

One concept that is similar in both racing and ordinary automobiles isthe safety of occupants during collisions. Although the types ofcollisions experienced on ordinary streets and race tracks are similar,i.e., car-to-car collisions, car-to-barrier collisions, flips andcombinations thereof, the forces exerted upon automobiles involved incollisions on the race track are typically many times greater. Whileordinary automobiles have various overlapping safety devices—seat andshoulder belts and front and side airbags to name the obvious ones—thesedevices add weight to automobiles and may not necessarily be practicalfor use in racing automobiles. Accordingly, the designer, builder, anddriver of racing automobiles must satisfy the competing requirements ofproviding safety devices for the driver while minimizing weight.Additional constraints may include requirements placed upon the racingautomobiles by sanctioning bodies, ease of manufacture, interaction ofthe safety devices with other automobile components, driver comfort, andcosts.

One such racing organization, racing under the umbrella organizationcalled the National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing (NASCAR),involves the racing of automobiles (cars and pick ups or trucks) thatresemble those manufactured and sold to the public by large automobilecompanies such a Chevrolet, Ford, Dodge and Pontiac. These automobilesweigh in excess of 3,000 pounds and can reach speeds in excess of 200mph. In collisions, drivers of such automobiles are subjected to severeand multi-directional forces. The use of conventional safety systemsactivated by a collision, such as the air bags found in newer modelautomobiles, are impractical and could increase the risks of injury to adriver of a racing automobile. Thus, one of the primary safety devices(another being the roll-cage enclosure which surrounds the driver'scompartment) for such racing automobiles is the safety seat. The safetyseat must not only offer protection to the driver, but it must alsoprovide some measure of comfort to a driver. The seat must be strongenough to withstand certain forces without losing its structuralintegrity. A safety restraint system works in tandem with the seat toprevent the driver from being ejected from the seat during anycollision. Typically, the safety restraint system employs a 5-pointharness—two shoulder straps, a left and right lap belts and a crotchstrap—or a 6-point harness—two shoulder straps, two lap belts and twostraps circling a driver's thighs—all meeting at and releasablyconnected to the buckle manipulated by the driver. The opposing end ofthe straps and belts are secured to the roll cage or structural membersof the vehicle such as door posts and floors.

The conventional safety seat used in NASCAR vehicles has a shell ofshaped and welded aluminum covered in padding. Typically, the aluminumshell is comprised of a seat bottom that is welded to a seat back.Cut-outs in the aluminum shell allow safety restraint straps to passthrough the seat for adjustment and connection to the buckle. Thealuminum seat is secured to the roll cage and other vehicle structuralmembers such as the frame.

The conventional seat, though having been used for many years, hasseveral disadvantages. During welding, the aluminum may be damaged orthe strength reduced because of the heat applied. Further, flaws in theweld may go undetected. In these instances, the structural integrity ofthe aluminum shell is weakened and may fail if subjected to the forcesof a collision. Additionally, care must be taken to ensure that thepaths of the safety restraint straps from their securement points on theroll cage or vehicle frame to the buckle are free of areas that may“catch” the straps or damage the straps during use. One point ofparticular interest is the opening in the aluminum seat, which couldabrade the straps during use or even cut the straps during a collision,depending on the forces exerted on the driver and, correspondingly, onthe straps. Further, the adjustment of the straps relative to the driveris limited because of their route through the openings in the seat. Thisdeficiency has been exacerbated with the advent of head-and-neckrestraints mandated by NASCAR sanctioning body. These devices arepositioned around the neck of a driver, increasing the thickness of theneck region. This increased thickness restricts where the shoulderstraps can be placed on the driver's shoulder area, which may cause thestraps to bunch and not lay flat upon the driver's shoulder, decreasingcomfort and potentially increasing the risk of the straps not beingadjusted correctly. Another disadvantage of the conventional seat is thelack of adjustability, especially with respect to the height at whichthe seat supports the head of the driver. Further, although a lightermetal, the shell must be a certain thickness of aluminum to provide thenecessary strength, which increases the weight of the seat. Finally, themanufacture and installation of a seat requires multiple steps from thewelding of the shell to the installation of the seat in the vehicleincluding multiple attachment locations within the vehicle and finallyto the installation of the safety restraint straps to the roll cage andother vehicle structural members and threading them through the openingsin the seat after the seat has been installed in the vehicle. Each stepof the manufacturing and installation process provides the opportunityto damage to the seat and straps as well as incorrectly attach andtighten the seat and straps to the roll cage and car structure. Theseopportunities for mistakes increases the risk of injury to the driver.

It is desired to create a seat that eliminates or at least reduces theabove disadvantages while maintaining a safe and secure environment forthe driver without unnecessarily increasing the overall weight of thecar or the costs involved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The safety seat of the present invention comprises a unitary moldedshell, having a bottom portion and back portion, and a plurality ofsafety restraint straps integral to the shell. An adjustable headrestmay be attached to the back portion of the shell. The seat is attachedto structural members of the car, for example the roll cage and/or afloor frame, by a plurality of mounting brackets. Flexible, resilientpadding is added to the shell and the headrest (if attached) to cushionthe driver from normal and abnormal forces that may be experienced whiledriving the automobile. The shell is preferably made of a carbonfiber/aluminum sheet laminate that is molded into the proper shape.

The safety seat of the present invention has several advantages over theconventional aluminum seat. The shell bottom and back portions aremolded as a single unit, eliminating the inherent weakness of the weldedjoint in a conventional seat, thus increasing the overall strength ofthe shell and seat. This increase in strength may be of particularimportance when the automobile, and hence the seat, is subjected toalmost simultaneous multiple collisions from multiple directions whichresults in the seat encountering torsional as well as lateral forces.Because the safety restraint straps are integral to the shell, thestraps and the seat move as a unit, reducing the potential for thestraps to be pinched, abraded, or otherwise damaged during normal useand especially during collisions. A plurality of attachment plates, madeof a structural material, disposed within the shell ensure a secureconnection between the safety restraint straps and the shell as well asallowing the straps to be adjusted relative to the driver, thusincreasing comfort and ensuring that the straps are properly positionedabout the driver to provide maximum restraint of the driver. Likewise,the separate headrest is adjustable, allowing the headrest to properlycontact the helmet of the driver, thus offering maximum protection fromsevere neck strains due to a whiplash effect. Linking members may beextended between and attached to the headrest and the seat to provideadditional support to the seat/headrest combination. The shell may bemolded in different dimensions, allowing a “custom-fit” for each driver.Alternatively, the shell may be molded in a generic size, with removablepadding being used to “custom-fit” the resulting seat to the driver.Secondary support members, for example rib guards or leg rests, may beeither made as a part of the shell, or made separately and attached tothe shell. These secondary support members may be used to increase thecomfort of the driver (e.g., leg rests) or provide extra support to aninjured area (e.g., a padded rib guard to support injured ribs).

A method for making the seat of the present invention is also disclosed.The method results in a inherent structural integrity that offeradvantages over the current art, namely welded aluminum seating pans.The shell is a laminate comprising of an inner layer and an outer layerof woven carbon fibers and resilient fibers with a core of aluminumsheeting having an hexagonal, honeycomb-like cross-section. In apreferred embodiment, the resilient fibers are KEVLAR® fiber material.The method includes using a mold to assemble the components of the shelland an autoclave to bond the assembled components together. Use of amold not only provides a properly designed surface upon which toassemble the components, but also ensures uniformity and consistencyregarding the dimensions and strength of the resulting shell. Molds of asingle size may be used to create “generic” shells or differently sizedmolds may be used to create “custom” shells. Attachment plates—made of astructural material, preferably aluminum—are disposed between the innerlayer and the outer layer at predetermined locations during assembly.These attachment plates, each having a plurality of pre-drilled holestherein, provide the foundation to which the straps of the safetyrestraint system are fastened. Certain attachment plates may alsoprovide the foundation to which secondary support members (e.g., chestprotector or rib guard) may be fastened. Fasteners may include, forexample, bolts, screws, rivets and pins. Support plates, located on anexterior of the shell, may be fastened to corresponding attachmentplates. The support plates may be used for attaching mounting bracketsto the seat, as well as mounting other support members to the seat. Forexample, the headrest may be attached to the seat by fastening aconnector plate extending from the headrest to a support plate on theseat.

After the shell is completed, the straps of the safety restraint systemmay be attached to the shell. Each strap has an attachment end and abuckle end. The attachment end of each strap is secured to the shellusing an appropriate mounting system. Each strap is secured to aparticular location on the shell. For example, the shoulder straps aresecured to the back portion of the shell toward a top end of the shell,thus allowing the straps to properly drape over a driver's shoulders;the lap belts are attached at a lower location of the back portion ofthe shell or along the bottom portion of the shell so that the beltstravel correctly across the pelvic region of the driver; and the crotchstrap (5-point harness) or the leg straps (6-point harness) are attachedto the bottom portion of the shell. If any of the straps are not used,then they may simply be detached from the shell. Likewise, if any of thestraps is damaged, then that strap may be replaced by an undamaged one.The attachment locations for the straps may be adjusted during assemblyof the seat to accommodate the driver's physical requirements anddriving style. Further, the straps may be attached in such orientationsas to accommodate braces or other devices worn by the driver. Forexample, the shoulder straps may be attached at a slight angle to allowthe straps to drape over the driver's shoulders without interferingwith, or being interfered by, a head-and-neck device which encloses thedriver's neck.

The padding may be disposed on the shell before or after the straps areattached. Openings formed in the padding allows the straps to extendthrough the padding to secure the driver in the seat. The padding may becustom made, i.e., contoured to accommodate a particular driver, orformed from foam blocks cut to fit the shell. The padding may be adheredto the shell to prevent undesired displacement of the padding duringuse. Likewise, the exposed portion of the padding may be covered, e.g.by cloth or other covering, to prevent damage or excessive wear.

An advantage of the present invention is that the entire seat may beassembled—the straps secured to the shell and adjusted, the headrestadjusted and secured and the padding added—while the seat is outside ofthe vehicle. Such complete access is not available with the conventionalaluminum safety seat. In a conventional seat, the aluminum shell (withor without the padding) must first be installed in and attached to thevehicle. The straps must be secured to certain locations on the rollcage or a structural member of the vehicle and then threaded throughopenings in the aluminum shell, working around the seat in confinedareas and awkward positions. Typically on racing vehicles, occupantdoors do not exist or are welded shut to prevent failure of the doorlatch and subsequent ejection of the driver during collisions and toallow the roll cage to extend across the door area, strengthening thedriver compartment. Thus, installation of elements within the drivercompartment, i.e., within the roll cage, requires the installer toeither stand outside of the vehicle and lean into the open window areato perform the work or to kneel or sit in a cramped position within theroll cage. Such positions hinder accessibility and visibility of theshell and straps which may cause an installer to incorrectly secure orimproperly adjust certain elements, such as the safety restraint strapsor the shell itself. The safety seat of the present invention allows theinstaller to easily access all components of the seat during assembly,which allows the installer to directly view the area of installationwithout fatigue. Once the seat of the present invention is completedoutside of the vehicle, the seat may be inserted through the windowopening in the vehicle and secured by brackets to structural members ofthe vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the seat is secured to the rollcage and a vehicle floor frame. Installation of the seat as a unit alsoreduces the time required for such work, freeing the personnel foradditional duties.

Another possible advantage of the present invention is that, in certaininstances, an injured driver may choose to start a race with the statedintention to relinquish driving duties at some point in the race. Inthese cases, a substitute driver is selected ahead of the race. Withconventional aluminum seats, the injured driver and the substitutedriver must share the seat; the seat cannot be adjusted to accommodate adifference in height or driving position because of the time required toremove the straps from the openings in the first seat shell, detach thefirst seat from its multiple attachment points in the vehicle, removethe first seat, insert the second seat, attach the second seat to thevehicle, and rethread the straps through the openings in the second seat(with or without having to reattach the straps to different locations onthe roll cage or the vehicle), all before the second driver is able toenter the vehicle and adjust the straps before connecting them to thebuckle. The time required to accomplish these tasks is prohibitiveduring a race. Thus, either the injured driver or the substitute drivermust drive the vehicle in a seat that is not properly sized or adjustedfor the driver, forcing the driver to drive in an uncomfortable, andpossibly unsafe, condition. Because the seat of the present inventionmay be assembled in advance, the seat may the properly sized and thesafety restraint straps properly adjusted for the substitute driver. Incertain situations, the time required to detach the injured driver'sseat from the vehicle and install the substitute driver's seat may beshort enough to allow a switch of seats, thus providing both driverswith the optimum protection and comfort.

While the primary use of the safety seat of the present invention is inracing automobiles such as cars and trucks, one of ordinary skill canreadily appreciate that the safety seat may be used in any vehiclehaving a compartment for the driver and/or passengers. For example, itis envisioned that the safety seat of the present invention may be usedin watercraft and aircraft as well in typical passenger automobiles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features, embodiments, and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description withreference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates the safety seat of the present invention as it wouldbe positioned within a driver compartment of an automobile;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a shell and safety restraint system componentsof the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the molded safety seat of the presentinvention, illustrating one mode of securing the safety seat to avehicle;

FIG. 4 is a back view of the safety seat of the present inventionillustrating the attachment of the headrest to the back of the safetyseat; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the safety seat and mounting bracketas taken along line 5-5 in FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, a safety seat 10 is positioned within a vehicle 5and attached to certain structural members of the vehicle 5, e.g., aroll cage 7 and floor frame 9, by mounting brackets 76, 92 fastened tosupport plates 74, 90 that are attached to the safety seat 10. In apreferred embodiment, headrest 80 is attached to the safety seat 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, the safety seat 10 includes a unitary molded shell20, a safety restraint system integral to the shell 20 and padding 70disposed on a seating surface 110 of the shell 20 (as illustrated inFIG. 5). The shell 20 has a bottom portion 22 that seamlessly mergesinto a back portion 30 such that the shell 20 has a “bucket-seat” typeshape. The bottom portion 22 is U-shaped with a base 24 and opposingsides 26 extending generally perpendicular from the base 24, the basebeing generally horizontal. The base 24 and sides 26 have a front edge28 opposite the back portion 30 of the shell 20. The back portion 30extends upwardly from the bottom portion 22 to a top end 34. The backportion 30 is concave with opposing sides 32 oriented toward the frontedge 28 of the base 24 and sides 26 of the bottom portion 22. Asillustrated in FIG. 3, a section of the back portion 30 near the top end34 extends beyond the sides 32 to form wings 36. The wings 36 arelocated on the back portion 30 to engage shoulders of a driver (notshown) sitting in the safety seat 10 to prevent excessive lateral motionof the driver.

A plurality of attachment plates are disposed within the bottom portion22 and the back portion 30 of the shell 20. As illustrated in FIG. 5,the attachment plates (side plate 44) provide a foundation for attachingvarious components of the safety seat. The following attachment platesare typical of the plurality of the attachment plates that may bedisposed in the shell 20. For example, back plate 40 is disposed on theback portion 30 near the top end 34. A plurality of attachment holes 42on the back plate 40 are transferred to the shell. As shown in FIG. 5, aside plate 44 is disposed on each of the sides 26 of the bottom portion22 intermediate the front edge 28 and the back portion 30. A bottomplate (not shown) is disposed on the base 24 of the bottom portion. In apreferred embodiment, attachment plates are located on the sides 32 ofthe back portion 30 intermediate the bottom portion 22 and the wings 36.Additional attachment plates may be disposed within the shell 20 and theheadrest 80, for example in the wings 36.

The safety restraint system, is secured to the shell 20. In a preferredembodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the safety restraint system comprises a5-point harness having shoulder straps 52, lap belts 58 and crotch strap64. In another preferred embodiment, the safety restraint systemcomprises a 6-point harness having shoulder straps, lap belts and twothigh straps. One of ordinary skill should readily understand that anyconfiguration of safety restraint straps may be used.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the shoulder straps 52 each has an attachmentend 53 and a buckle end 56. Mounting stirrups 54 are fastened to backplate 40. The attachment ends 55 of the shoulder straps 52 are connectedto the mounting stirrups 54 by connecting fasteners 55. The connectingfasteners 55 and the mounting stirrups 54 allow the shoulder straps 52to move longitudinally, but restricts any lateral motion thereof. Thelongitudinal motion of the shoulder straps 52 allows the shoulder strapsto drape over the driver's shoulders and travel across the driver'strunk, thus securing the driver's upper body to the safety seat 10. Themounting stirrups 54 may be relocated upon the back plate 40 toaccommodate the driver's physical requirements. In a preferredembodiment, the mounting stirrups are angled to splay the shoulderstraps 52 toward the sides 32 of the back portion 30 so that theshoulder straps 52 avoid interference with a head-and-neck device wornby the driver.

The lap belts 58 are fastened to the side plates 44 disposed within thesides 26 of the bottom portion 22 of the shell 20. In a preferredembodiment, mounting stirrups similar to the shoulder mounting stirrups54 may be used. In another preferred embodiment, the lap belts 58 aredirectly attached to the side plates 44. As shown in FIG. 2, the lapbelts 58 each has an attachment end 59. Fasteners 60 inserted throughthe attachment end are secured to the side plates 44 such that the lapbelts 58 rotate about the fasteners 60. One of the lap belts 58 has abuckle end 56. The other of the lap belts 58 has a locking device 62attached at an end opposite the attachment end 59. The locking device isused to lock all of the buckle ends 56 of the straps together in areleasably secure manner. The operation of any of the safety restraintsystems disclosed herein is beyond the scope of the present invention.

The crotch strap 64 is attached to a bottom plate (not shown) in amanner similar to the attachment of the shoulder straps 52 and the lapbelts 58. The crotch strap has at least one attachment end 66 and abuckle end 56.

The shoulder straps 52, the lap belts 58 and the crotch strap 64 mayalso have adjustable lengths to accommodate drivers of different sizes.

As shown in FIG. 5, the shell 20 has a seating surface 110 and anon-seating surface 112. The safety restraint system is secured to theseating surface 110 of the shell 20 to eliminate any abrupt changes indirection of the straps and to eliminate any areas of abradinginteraction between the shell 20 and the straps, thus removing many ofthe opportunities for damaging the straps of the safety restraint systemthat are prevalent in the current art.

The safety seat 10 is secured within a vehicle by at least one mountinglocation. In a preferred embodiment, shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, supportplates 74, 90 are disposed on the non-seating surface 112 of the shell20. Each of the sides 26 of the bottom portion 22 of the shell 20 has acorresponding side support plate 74 disposed thereon; as shown in FIG.5, the side support plates 74 are fastened to the corresponding sideplate 44 disposed within the sides 26 of the bottom portion 22 of theshell 20. Back support plate 90 is fastened to the back plate 40disposed within the back portion 30 of the shell 20. Preferably, thesupport plates 74, 90 are attached to the corresponding attachmentplates 44, 40 by rivets, screws, or bolts. The support plates 74, 90 aremade of a structural material, preferably steel or aluminum. Each sidemounting bracket 76 has a seat end and a vehicle end. As shown in FIGS.3 and 4, the seat end of each of the side mounting brackets 76 isfixedly attached to the corresponding side support plate 74. The vehicleend of the each of the side mounting brackets is fixedly attached to aportion of the roll cage 7 or a structural member of the vehicle 5, forexample floor frames. Similarly, the back mounting bracket 92 has a seatend fixedly attached to the back support plate 90 and a vehicle endfixedly attached to a portion of the roll cage 7. It will be readilyunderstood by one of ordinary skill that the safety seat 10 may beattached to any structural member of the vehicle 5 and there may bymultiple attachment locations on the safety seat 10 and the vehicle 5beyond those discussed above.

In a preferred embodiment headrest 80 is attached to the safety seat 10.The headrest 80 preferably comprises a molded shell 81 covered withpadding 87. The headrest 80 may be of any desired shape. As shown inFIGS. 2-4, the headrest 80 has a curved top end 84 and a curved bottomend 82. Preferably, the headrest 80 has a concave shape similar to theback portion 30 of the shell. The bottom end 82 of the headrest 80 restsagainst the top end 34 of the back portion 30 of the shell 20. Sides ofthe headrest 80 continue the curvature of the headrest 80 to formextending members 86 facing toward the front edge 28 of the bottomportion 22 of the shell 20. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the extendingmembers 86 project beyond the wings 36 of the upper portion 30 of theshell 20 and end at an point intermediate the front edge 28 of thebottom portion 22 of the shell 20 and the wings 36. Linking members 89may extend between corresponding ends of the extending members 86 andthe wings 36 to provide additional structural stability to the extendingmembers 86 and the wings 36 as well as securely attach the headrest 80to the safety seat 10. The headrest 80 is attached to the back supportplate 90 by a connecting plate 88 extending therebetween. The connectingplate 88 is fixedly attached to a back of the headrest 88 and projectsbeyond the bottom end 82 to intersect with the back support plate 90, asshown in FIG. 4. The connecting plate 88 is attached to the back supportplate 90 by fasteners inserted through holes in the connecting plate 88,and holes 42′ in the back support plate 90 to engage the attachmentholes 42 in the back attachment plate 40. By selectively matching theholes in the connecting plate 88 to holes 42′ in the back support plate90, the height of the headrest 80 may be adjusted relative to the safetyseat 10. In a preferred embodiment, the padding 87 of the headrestcomprises strips of foam attached to the shell 81 of the headrest 80 bytape.

The safety seat 10 exhibits an increase in structural integrity relativeto the current art that is primarily due to the shell 20. As illustratedin FIG. 5, the shell 20 is a composite having an inner layer 102, andouter layer 104 and a core 106 situated between the inner and outerlayers 102, 104. The plurality of attachment plates (shown in FIG. 5 asside plate 44) are disposed between the inner layer 102 and the outerlayer 104. Holes 78 formed in the attachment plates create receptaclesfor fasteners 77 attaching support plates (as shown in FIG. 5 as sidesupport plate 74), mounting brackets (shown as side mounting bracket 76)and straps of the safety restraint system thereto. The fasteners 77 maybe any appropriate fastener, for example bolts, screws, rivets, dowelsand pins. Padding 70 is located on the seating surface of the shell 20.

The inner layer 102 and the outer layer 104 are comprised of a pluralityof sheets of woven carbon fiber and at least one sheet of resilientfiber material, preferably KEVLAR® fiber material, bonded together undera defined pressure and temperature. Preferably, the bonding occurswithin an autoclave. The at least one sheet of KEVLAR® fiber materialprevents the resultant matrix from shattering if subjected to an impact.Similar results may be found substituting fiberglass or a similarfibrous material within the matrix. Preferably, the sheets of wovencarbon fiber are pre-pregnated with a bonding agent. The inner and outerlayers 102, 104 have a thickness correlating to the number of sheetsbonded together. In a preferred embodiment, the inner and outer layers102, 104 each has a thickness of between about 90-100 thousandths of aninch, which corresponds to approximately eight sheets of woven carbonfiber and one sheet of KEVLAR® fiber material. The thickness of theinner layer 102 may also be greater or lesser than the thickness of theouter layer 104. One of ordinary skill can readily ascertain the optimalthickness of each of the inner layer 102 and the outer layer 104 to forma shell 20 for a particular purpose.

The core comprises a lightweight, flexible structural material. In apreferred embodiment, the core is made of an aluminum sheet having ahexagonal, honeycomb-like cross-section. The sheet is cut to conform tothe outer layer.

The attachment plates are made of a lightweight structural material,preferably aluminum. The attachment plates may have any thickness toensure a secure fixation of the fasteners therein. In a preferredembodiment, the attachment plates are approximately 0.5 inch thick.Holes (shown in FIG. 5 as 78) are pre-formed in the attachment plates.These holes may later by tapped and threaded to accept threadedfasteners, or sleeves may be inserted into the holes to alter the sizeand relation of the selected holes.

The support plates are located on the non-seating surface 112 of theshell 20 and are attached to corresponding attachment plates, thussituating the outer layer 104 between the support plate and theattachment plate. The support plate is made of a structural material,preferably steel or aluminum. Preferably rivets or screws fasten thesupport plate to the attachment plate.

The padding 70 may be custom-made to specifications of a particulardriver or formed from shaped foam blocks and strips. The padding 70 ispreferably removably attached to the seating surface 110 of the shell 20to prevent undesired displacement of the padding 70 from the shell 20.In a preferred embodiment, the padding is adhered to the inner surface110 of the shell 20. In another preferred embodiment, the padding 70 isheld against the shell 20 by tape encircling the padding 70 and shell20. In another preferred embodiment, both adhesives and tape are used toattach the padding to the inner surface 110 of the shell 20. A cover 72may be placed on exposed portions of the padding 70 to prevent damage(e.g., cuts, tears and gouges) and excessive wear to the padding 70. Thecover 72 may be any appropriate material such as cloth or vinyl.

The shell is made by the method discussed below. A mold of the shell isprovided. Into the mold is layered the plurality of sheets of wovencarbon fiber and the at least one sheet of resilient fiber material,preferably KEVLAR® fiber material, that comprise the outer layer 104.The mold is subjected to a defined temperature profile at a pre-selectedpressure to bond the layers together. In a preferred embodiment, anautoclave is used to bond the layers. The bonded outer layer 104 isremoved from the mold. A selected plurality of attachment plates arepositioned and adhered to an inner surface of the outer layer 104. Holesin the outer layer 104 corresponding to those in the attachment platesare formed by passing a drill or punch through the holes in theattachment plates and the outer layer 104. The holes in the outer layer104 are preferably covered by a non-reactive material to prevent theholes from being filled with material during the remainder of the makingof the shell. The outer layer 104 is then returned to the mold. Thematerial for the core 106 is cut and placed on the inner surface of theouter layer. Preferably, a coat of epoxy resin is placed on the innersurface of the outer layer 104 before the core is embedded, thusadhering the core to the outer layer 104. The plurality of sheets ofwoven carbon fibers and the at least one sheet of KEVLAR® fiber materialforming the inner layer 102 are then are then placed on the core 106. Avacuum is established on the mold to force the components of the shell20 against the mold. Preferably, the mold is enclosed in a bag and thevacuum is established within the bag. The bag enclosing the moldsubjected to a predetermined temperature profile and pressure,preferably by inserting the bag in an autoclave. The autoclave ismaintained at a pressure greater than atmospheric, preferably about 30psig. Preferably, the temperature profile comprises maintaining theautoclave at about 100 F for approximately 30 minutes, then increasingthe temperature to a range of about 190 F to 240 F, more preferablybetween about 200 F and 225 F, and maintaining the increased temperaturefor approximately 60 minutes, followed by decreasing the temperature toambient and allowing the mold to cool to ambient within the autoclave.The bag enclosing the mold is then removed from the autoclave, the moldis removed from the bag, and the resultant shell 20 is released from themold. If needed, the shell 20 may be polished to remove excess materialand to smooth the seating and non-seating surfaces 110, 112. The holesin the outer layer 104 are uncovered. In desired, the holes in the outerlayer 104 may be extended through the inner layer (as illustrated inFIG. 2 as back plate 40). Support plates are positioned at selectedlocations to the non-seating surface 112 of the shell 20. The supportplates are attached to corresponding attachment plates. In a preferredembodiment, the support plates are also attached to the shell 20 by anadhesive. In a preferred embodiment, sleeves of structural material areinserted into the holes in the outer layer 104 and the inner layer 102to prevent undesired wear within the holes. These sleeves may be a partof the support plates or may be inserted individually. Preferably, thesleeves are held in place by adhesives.

An advantage of forming the shell 20 as a molded unitary piece is theelimination of any discontinuous transition between the back portion 30and the bottom portion 22 of the shell 20, and the subsequent structuralweakness resulting from the transition. Another advantage of using amolded shell instead of a shell of welded aluminum is the elimination ofany structural weakness caused by deficient welds or heat related damageto the aluminum. Furthermore, a single mold of the shell 20 of thepresent invention may be used multiple times, thus providing aconsistency not available to separately welded shells of the currentart. Also, different molds may be used to provide shells with differentcontours or different sizes of the same contour. In each case, however,the shells provided by the above method are uniform for a particularmold.

Once the shell 20 is completed, the safety restraint system is attachedto the seating surface 110 of the shell 20. Mounting stirrups 54, ifused, are fastened to a corresponding attachment plate (as illustratedin FIG. 2, the mounting stirrups 54 for the shoulder straps 52 arefastened to the back plate 40) and the straps are movably attached tothe mounting stirrups. If mounting stirrups are not used, fasteners areinserted through the straps and into corresponding attachment plates (asshown in FIG. 2, fasteners 60 are inserted through the seat end 59 ofeach of the lap belts 58 and into side plates 44). The attachmentlocation of each of the straps may be adjusted by selecting differentholes within the attachment plates and fastening the straps or mountingstirrups thereto.

The padding 70 may be disposed on the seating surface 10 of the shell 20either before or after the safety restraint system is installed. Ineither case, openings are formed in the padding 70 to allow the strapsto extend from the attachment locations through the padding 70 so thatthe straps may be secured around a driver occupying the safety seat 10.The padding is attached to the shell 20 and the straps are routedthrough the openings in the padding 70, thus completing assembly of thesafety seat 10.

Custom-fit padding may be created by the following method. Malleableresin is enclosed in a bag which is then sealed to prevent spillage. Thedriver sits on the bag, thus forcing the resin therein to conform to thedriver. Once the desired contour is achieved, a vacuum is established inthe bag so that the driver may be removed. The resin cures under vacuum,thus retaining the desired contour. The cured contoured resin is removedfrom the bag and excess resin is removed. The contoured resin padding 70is then installed on the seating surface of the shell 20. In anotherembodiment, the bag of resin in placed in the shell 20 before the driversits on the bag. This allows the resin to conform to the shell contouras well as the driver.

Custom-fit padding may also be created by shaping foam blocks to conformto the desired contour. In addition, a generic contour for the paddingmay be followed to allow multiple users of a single safety seat 10without the need to replace the padding 70 between users.

If desired, secondary support members, such as rib guards or leg rests,may be attached to the safety seat 10.

After assembly of the safety seat 10, as discussed above, the driver mayreturn for final adjustments of the safety restraint system and thepadding 70. If desired, the headrest 80 is attached to the back supportplate 90 and adjusted. The mounting brackets 76 and 92 are attached tothe side and back mounting plates 74, 90. The safety seat 10 is thenpositioned within the vehicle 5 and the mounting brackets 76, 92 arefixedly attached to selected structural members within the vehicle, suchas a portion of the roll cage 7 and floor frames 9. Any additionaladjustments of the safety restraint system, especially to accommodatethe position of the driver and safety seat 10 within the vehicle, may beeasily accomplished after the safety seat 10 has been installed in thevehicle.

It will therefore be readily understood by those persons skilled in theart that the present invention is susceptible of broad utility andapplication. Many embodiments and adaptations of the present inventionother than those herein described, as well as many variations,modifications and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from orreasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoingdescription thereof, without departing from the substance or scope ofthe present invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has beendescribed herein in detail in relation to its preferred embodiment, itis to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative andexemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes ofproviding a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoingdisclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the presentinvention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments,adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, thepresent invention being limited only by the claims appended hereto andthe equivalents thereof.

1. A method of making a safety seat shell unitarily molded in aconfiguration for seating of only a single occupant to be adapted foruse as a driver's seat in a racing automobile, and wherein the safetyseat shell comprises a laminate having an inner layer, an outer layerand a core positioned therebetween, the method comprising the steps of:providing a mold of the shell, including configuring the mold to definethe shell to have a seat back and a seat bottom defining a seatingsurface for a single occupant, wings projecting forwardly from oppositelateral sides of the seat back for constraining lateral movement of anoccupant's shoulders, and sides projecting upwardly from oppositelateral sides of the seat bottom for constraining lateral movement of anoccupant's legs; forming the outer layer by layering a plurality ofsheets of woven carbon fibers and at least one sheet of resilient fibermaterial within the mold, wherein the resilient fiber material is anaramid fiber material; placing the mold into an autoclave, the autoclaveoperating at a predetermined pressure and temperature profile; andremoving the mold from the autoclave; adhering a plurality of attachmentplates to the inner surface of the outer layer at predeterminedlocations thereon; placing the core on the inner surface of the formedouter layer; forming the inner layer on the core material by layering aplurality of sheets of woven carbon fibers and at least one sheet of theresilient fiber material upon a side of the core material opposite theouter layer; closing the mold such that the outer layer, attachmentplates, core material and inner layer are enclosed within the mold;enclosing the mold in a bag; establishing a vacuum within the bag;inserting the bag into the autoclave; maintaining the autoclave at apredetermined pressure and a defined temperature profile; removing thebag from the autoclave; removing the mold from bag; and releasing theshell from the mold.
 2. The method of making a safety seat shellaccording to claim 1, wherein the formation step of the outer layerincludes the step of removing the outer layer from the mold after themold is removed from the autoclave.
 3. The method of making a safetyseat shell according to claim 1, wherein the step of placing the corematerial on the inner surface of the outer layer includes the steps of:coating the inner surface of the outer layer with an epoxy resin;positioning one side of core material on the coated inner surface of theouter layer, the core material shaped to correspond to the inner surfaceof outer layer; and coating a second side of the core material with anepoxy resin, the second side being opposite the outer layer.
 4. Themethod of making a safety seat shell according to claim 1, wherein thestep of maintaining the autoclave at a predetermined pressure includesmaintaining the autoclave at approximately 30 psig.
 5. The method ofmaking a safety seat shell according to claim 1, wherein the step ofmaintaining the autoclave at a defined temperature profile includesmaintaining the autoclave at about 100 F for approximately 30 minutes;increasing the temperature to between about 190 F and about 240 F;maintaining the autoclave between about 190 F and 240 F forapproximately 60 minutes; and decreasing the temperature to ambienttemperature.
 6. The method of making a safety seat shell according toclaim 1, wherein the step of maintaining the autoclave at a definedtemperature profile includes maintaining the autoclave at about 100 Ffor approximately 30 minutes; increasing the temperature to betweenabout 200 F and about 225 F; maintaining the autoclave at about 200 F toabout 225 F for approximately 60 minutes; and decreasing the temperatureto ambient.
 7. The method of making a safety seat shell according toclaim 1, further comprising the step of smoothing surfaces of the shellafter removal from the mold.